Douglas, Mary Stewart (May) (1904 - 1999)

On 1 June 1953 May Douglas was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition for her service as Commissioner of Girl Guides in South Australia. She was also awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1997 for service to veterans, particularly through the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps Association, and the Australia Remembers 1945-1995 Celebrations.

Events

1923 - 1941	Captain and Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association
1941 - 1943	Assistant Controller of the Australian Women's Army Service
1943 - 1946	Controller of the Australian Army Medical Womens' Service
1946 - 1948	District Commissioner of the Girl Guides
1949 - 1952	Deputy South Australian Commissioner of the Girl Guides
1952 - 1958	State Commissioner of the South Australian Girl Guides
1 June 1953	Appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE)
1958	Life member of the South Australian Council of Girl Guides
23 April 1961 - April 1966	Honorary Colonel of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps
26 January 1997	Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

Chaired by

• The Sybil Irving Memorial Fund Committee

Commissioner

• Girl Guides Australia (1926 - )

Related Corporate Bodies

• Australian Army Medical Women's Service (AAMWS) (1942 - 1951)

  Service no: SFX30364 Lieutenant-Colonel

  [1943 - 1946]

• Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) (1941 - 1947)

  Service number: SFX30364. Assistant Controller

  [1941 - 1943]

• Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) (1951 - 1985)

  Honorary Colonel

  [1961 - 1966]

Related Cultural Artefacts

• The Sybil Irving Memorial, Victoria

  unveiled Victorian memorial to Sybil Irving

Book Sections

• Douglas, May, 'Women in wartime - May Douglas, who played a prominent part in the Australian Women's Army Service raised in August, 1941, contributes some of her memories', in Taylor, Adelheid Elizabeth (ed.), Greater than their knowledge : a glimpse of South Australian woman 1836-1986, Wakefield Press, Netley, SA, pp. 91-92. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• Department of Veterans' Affairs, 'DOUGLAS, MARY STEWART', in World War 2 Nominal Roll, 2002, http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=693236. [ Details... ]

See also

• Alexander, Joseph A (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1962, 17 edn, Colorgravure Publications, Melbourne, 1962, 960 pp. [ Details... ]
• Bomford, Janette, Soldiers of the Queen : women in the Australian Army, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic., 2001, 183 pp. [ Details... ]
• Cockburn, Stewart, Notable lives : profiles of 21 South Australians, Ferguson Publications, Adelaide, 1997, 166 pp. [ Details... ]
• Mount-Batten, Betty J, From blue to khaki: The enlisted voluntary aids and others who became members of the Australian Army Medical Women's Service and served from 19421-1951, Betty J Mount-Batten, [Wollstonecraft, N.S.W.], 1995, 280 pp. [ Details... ]
• Ollif, Lorna, Colonel Best and her soldiers: The Story of the 33 years of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, Ollif Publishing Company, Hornsby, NSW, 1985, 249 pp. [ Details... ]
• WRAAC Association, A Stroll down memory lane, 2001, 38 pp. [ Details... ]